Hosiery welt cover



May 14, 1968 J, G, WALSER; JR 3,382,505

HOSIERY WELT COVER Filed Jan. 21, 1966 INVENTOR: JOsE-PH G. WAL$EEJIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,382,505 HOSIERY WELT COVER Joseph G. Walser, Jr., High Point, N.C., assignor to Peekers, Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,146

7 Claims. (Cl. 2-240) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attractive and ornamental article is provided for wear on the thigh portion of the leg to function as a cover for the hosiery welt, the lower portion of the leg or panty girdle, garter fasteners, and the like. Ornamental lace is provided around the article to serve as an attractive visionblocking screen or veil and to prevent the exposure of the upper portion of the leg and the undergarments when the wearer is seated and wearing a short skirt, dress or the like.

This invention relates generally to a knit article adapted to encircle the thigh portion of the leg and to provide an attractive and ornamental appearance when worn. The knit article of the present invention may serve several purposes. For example, it may be used as a hosiery welt cover when the wearer has hosiery on the leg, it may be used to cover the lower portions of the legs of a panty girdle, or it may be worn on the bare leg. In any event, the present article provides an attractive and pleasing appearance.

It has recently become the fashion to wear shorter skirts and dresses and many women and girls are currently wearing them above the knees. The lower edge of short skirts and dresses ride up even further when the wearer is seated and expose the unsightly hosiery welt, as well as the lower portions of the legs of panty girdles, garter fasteners, and the like.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an attractive knit article adapted to be worn around the thigh and which functions as a hosiery welt cover to cover the unattractive hosiery welt, as well as the lower portions of the legs of panty girdles, garter fasteners and the like. The present article is also provided with an ornamental lace lower edge which serves as an attractive vision-blocking screen or veil that somewhat simulates the appearance of the lace edge nor- 'mally provided on the lower edge of a petticoat or slip.

However, the ornamental lace edge of the present knit article extends completely around each leg and is therefore present between the legs to provide a more efficient visionblocking screen than the normal lace edge on a slip.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the medial portion of a ladys legs and showing the knit article of the present invention in position on each leg and with the wearer illustrating the manner in which the knit article is interconnected with the top of the hose by the garter fastener;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the knit article removed from the leg and with portions broken away to illustrate the construction of the knit article;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the knit article and illustrating the manner in which the inner band of the knit article is connected to the upper portion of the hosiery welt by the garter fastener;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower portion of the knit article, illustrating the manner in which the lower edges of the inner and outer elastic bands are joined together; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the 3,382,505 Patented May 14, 1968 juncture of the inner and outer bands, illustrating a preferred manner of joining the knit stitches of the bands, and looking from the rear of FIGURE 4 in the direction of the arrow 5.

For convenience, the knit article will be referred to as a hosiery welt cover, however, it is to be understood that it could also be worn as a decorative item on the bare leg without hose, or with socks. The cover includes an outer annular band 10 having an upper free edge and a lower end which is joined to the lower end of an inner annular band 11 along a dotted line 12. The inner band 11 has an upper free edge that is not connected with the upper free edge of the outer band 10.

The upper edge of an extension band 13 is connected to the lower ends of the outer and inner bands 10, 11, at their juncture line 12 and extends downwardly therefrom. The lower edge of the extension band 13 has the upper edge of an ornamental lace strip 14 connected thereto, and extending downwardly therefrom. The ornamental lace 14 is preferably formed of non-stretchable material. The ornamental lace 14 is connected to the lower edge of the extension band 13 by any suitable means, such as an overedge seam indicated at 15 in FIGURE 3.

The upper free edge of the outer band 10 has a woven elastic strip or band 16 (FIGURE 6) suitably connected thereto as by an overedge seam 17. The elastic strip 16 extends around the upper free edge of the outer band 10 and aids in supporting the cover on the leg. The upper free edge of the inner band 11 is provided with an overedge seam 18 which may have an elastic strip incorporated therein, if desired.

The cover is preferably knit of a synthetic crirnped stretchable yarn so that it has sufiicient stretchability that it will resiliently engage the thigh when drawn up on the leg, as shown in FIGURE 1, The cover is preferably made by knitting on a circular hosiery knitting machine of the type adapted to form the turned welt on a ladys stocking so that the lower edges of the outer and inner layers 10, 11 are integrally joined as by a transfer course, indicated at T in FIGURE 5. When first produced in this manner, the upper edges of the outer and inner bands 10, 11 are joined to form a double ply fabric. The fold line at the juncture of the upper edges of the outer and inner layers is then cut to form the separate upper free edges of the inner and outer bands so that they are substantially the same length. It is preferred that the bands be knit substantially the same length as the turned welt of hosiery and that the extension band 13 be much shorter, on the order of about one-sixth as long.

However, it is to be understood that the bands can be knit longer or shorter and that the upper portions of the tyo layers may be separated or cut at a dilferent point so that the outer band 10 can be made longer and will extend up higher than the inner band 11, if desired. Then, the elastic strip 16 and overedge stitching 18 are connected to the free upper edges of the outer band 10 and the inner band 11, and the lace strip 14 is connected to the lower edge of the extension band 13. As the overedge seam 15 is formed, the lower edge of the extension band 13 is stretched so that the upper edge of the lace 14 gathers when the cover is relaxed, as shown in FIG- URE 2. Then, when the cover is worn, the lower portion of the lace 14 stands out and surrounds the leg, as shown in FIGURE 1.

When the covers are worn with hose, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the cover is drawn up over the hose until it substantially covers the welts W of the hose H and the upper edge portion of the inner band 11 is connected to the upper edge portion of the welt W as by a garter fastener F and then the upper edge of the outer band 10 may be drawn up over and cover the garter fastener F. With the covers in position, as shown in FIGURE 1, the

frilly lace edge 14 surrounds each leg and blocks the vision up-the legs beyond that point. When the wearer is seated, the lower edge of a short skirt or dress is forced to rise even higher up the legs and the present article provides an attractive screen around and between the legs to obscure the view beyond this point.

While the article has been described as being knit on a. seamless hosiery machine, it is to be understood that the article could also be knit on a full-fashioned machine. The article may also be formed of other types of knit material which can be cut and seamed. The cover may be dyed various colors to match or harmonize with the clothing or hosiery.

The present knit article may also be knit of a single layer or ply throughout the length from top to bottom. If desired, an elastic strand may beinlaid or otherwise incorporated in the knitiabric at the top of the article, i.e., the end opposite the end to which the ornamental lace is attached. The annular stretchable band is preferably the same length from top to bottom as the length of the turned welt of a ladys hose, usually about 3 to 5 inches. The ornamental lace is stitched to the bottom edge while the fabric of the band is instretched condition so that the lace will extend outwardly from the leg. The ornamental lace is preferably about 2 /2 inches wide.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment ofthe invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A knit article adapted to encircle the thigh portion of the leg of the wearer and to function as a hosiery welt cover when the wearer has a hose on the leg, said article comprising annular inner and outer bands of stretchable knit fabric, means joining said inner and outer bands together at the lower ends thereof, and the other end of said inner and outer bands having unconnected upper free edges so that the upper edge of said inner band may be connected to the Welt of the hose by a garter fastener and the upper edge of said outer band may be positioned to overlie and cover the garter fastener, and a single layer stretchable annular extension band having an upper end, means connecting said upper end of said stretchable annular extension to the joined 4 lower ends of said inner and outer bands, said extension band extending downwardly from the lower ends of said inner and outer bands.

2. A knit article according to claim 1 including a band of ornamental lace having an upper end, means attaching said upper end of said ornamental lace to the lower end of said extension band and extending outwardly therefrom.

3. A knit article according to claim 1 including an elastic strip, means connecting said elastic strip to the upper edge of said outer band to aid in supporting the upper edge of said outer band in position on the leg.

4. A knit article according to claim 3 including elastic means extending around the upper edge of said inner band and including an overedge seam incorporating said elastic means therein to aid in supporting the upper edge of said inner band on the leg of the wearer.

5. A knit article according to claim 2 wherein said inner and outer bands and said extension band are knit of a crimped synthetic stretchable yarn.

6. A knit article, adapted to encircle the thigh portion of the leg of the wearer and to function as a hosiery welt cover when the wearer has a hose on the leg, said article comprising an annular band of stretchable knit fabric, said band being of substantially the same length from top to bottom as the length of the turned welt of a ladies hose, and a band of ornamental lace having an upper end, means attaching said upper end of said band of ornamental lace to the bottom edge of said annular band.

7. A knit article according to claim 6 including elastic means, means connecting said elastic means to the top edge portion of said annular band for aiding in supporting the article on the leg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 27,440 7/ 1897 Twomey.

942,751 12/1909 Robbins 2241 XR 968,857 8/1910 Koneman. 1,070,250 8/ 1913 Hamburger. 1,422,441 7/1922 Harmon 2213 2,242,561 5/1941 Walz 2-300 XR JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

JAMES R. BOLER, Examiner. 

